Novel platform empowers cities to build climate resilience and adaptation
More than 70 % of Europe’s urban population faces the growing challenges of climate change, from air pollution to flash floods. EU-funded researchers are developing a revolutionary platform to visualise these impacts and evaluate the effectiveness of city responses.
The EU-funded HARMONIA project is a Europe-wide collaboration comprising universities, research institutes, small- and medium-sized enterprises and non-governmental organisations in four pilot cities: Ixelles, Milan, Piraeus and Sofia.
Green climate fund approves WFP’s US$ 9.8 million project to build climate resilience in Pakistan
Islamabad – The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has approved a US$ 9.8 million climate risk management initiative aimed at strengthening resilience to extreme climate in flood-prone districts in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, to be implemented by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in collaboration with the Government of Pakistan.
The latest data confirms: Forest fires are getting worse
The latest data on forest fires confirms what we’ve long feared: Forest fires are becoming more widespread, burning at least twice as much tree cover today as they did two decades ago. Fire is also making up a larger share of global tree cover loss compared to other drivers like mining and forestry. While fires only accounted for about 20% of all tree cover loss in 2001, they now account for roughly 33%. This increase in fire activity has been starkly visible in recent years.
Japan’s magnitude 7.1 shock triggers megaquake warning. How likely is this scenario?
On 8 August 2024, a magnitude 7.1 shock struck at a depth of 25 kilometers, about five to ten kilometers off the shores of the city of Miyazaki on Japan’s southern island, Kyushu (USGS, 2024). The population of this region is accustomed to large shocks; in 2016 a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the city of Kumamoto, in the center of Kyushu, causing extensive damage.
One in 5 children – or 466 million – live in areas that experience at least double the number of extremely hot days every year compared to just six decades ago, according to a new UNICEF analysis. Using a comparison between a 1960s and a 2020-2024 average, the analysis issues a stark warning about the speed and scale at which extremely hot days – measured as more than 35 degrees Celsius / 95 degrees Fahrenheit – are increasing for almost half a billion children worldwide, many without the infrastructure or services to endure it.
Cyclone Remal: A wake-up call for building resilience
With a span of about 400km, Cyclone Remal struck the Bangladesh coast on 26th May 2024, passing through the Sundarbans with wind speeds as high as 111km/h. The cyclone caused prolonged precipitation and widespread destruction, with floods submerging areas and disrupting livelihoods across 19 districts. Damage to 61 kilometres of embankments in Khulna, Satkhira, and Bagerhat resulted in significant financial losses.
Building disaster resilience by empowering future innovators
The NSW Government has recently announced funding for a UNSW Sydney-led program for upper primary school students on bushfire and air quality management. The Fresh AIR Innovators program combines technology, environmental awareness and entrepreneurial spirit to inspire the next generation of problem-solvers and innovators. Project lead Professor Donna Green from the UNSW School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences says the program is a re-think on how STEM and disaster resilience is taught in schools.
Global Heat Resilience Service
GEO is joining forces with partners around the world to develop the Global Heat Resilience Service, aiming to help every city understand the dangers of extreme heat. With this transformative service, cities will be able to access valuable data, information, and insight to develop better plans for managing extreme heat events, protect people’s health, and reduce the impact on local economies.
Interactive map shows thresholds for coastal nuisance flooding
As sea levels rise around the world, communities in coastal areas are more frequently seeing the impact of routine high tide flooding. These incursions of sea water may weaken foundations and infrastructure, slow down traffic and curb business activities in affected areas. University of Alabama graduate student Sadaf Mahmoudi, working under Dr. Hamed Moftakhari, trained machine learning algorithms learn the underlying features that contribute to sea level rise and high tide flooding
A global foresight report on planetary health and human wellbeing
This report calls for the world to pay heed and respond to a range of emerging challenges that could disrupt planetary health and wellbeing. It presents insights on eight critical global shifts that are accelerating the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity and nature loss and pollution and waste.
This study was commissioned to evaluate the “Reinforcing Rural Resilience (RRR) project in terms of relevance, effectiveness, and efficiency. Implemented by Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) and Swiss Red Cross (SRC) between 2021 and 2024, the project reached a population of 235,200 across 88 communities in Bangladesh’s north-western districts of Kurigram and Gaibandha.
Towards transparent, accountable and inclusive climate change policies in Timor-Leste
This report highlights the disproportionate impact of climate change on vulnerable groups, particularly women and people with disabilities in Timor-Leste, and underscores the importance of effective climate finance disbursement to help these communities build resilience. The report emphasizes that climate finance is critical to help these communities build resilience.
Removing development incentives in risky areas promotes climate adaptation
This study evaluates one approach to discouraging development in risky areas-eliminating public incentives for development, such as infrastructure investments, disaster assistance and federal flood insurance. Using machine learning and matching techniques, the authors examine the Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS), a set of lands where these federal incentives have been removed.
World Water Week 2024: 25-29 August
World Water Week 2024 is centered on water cooperation, for peace and security in its broadest sense. The theme, Bridging Borders: Water for a Peaceful and Sustainable Future, asks us to recognize the regional and global interconnectivity of communities and nations, and underscores the collaborative effort needed to achieve a peaceful and sustainable future
FIREURISK Project – Final Demonstration of Geospatial products
The FirEUrisk Project has developed a science-based strategy to tackle wildfire risk, already validated in five regions across Europe: Barcelona province, central Portugal, central Europe, Kalmar county and Attica region.
Demonstration objectives:
– Critical assessment of the methods/products developed within the FirEUrisk project for the European Territory.
– Validation/semi-operational test for the summer of 2024 fire season.
Disaster Research Days 2024: shaping the future of science and research for disaster risk reduction
DG HOME is pleased to announce a new CERIS event: Disaster Research Days 2024, which will be held in Vienna on 8-10 October 2024 with a focus on Shaping the Future of Science and Research for Disaster Risk Reduction!
Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction
The Government of the Philippines partners with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) to host the next Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) from 14 to 18 October 2024 at the Philippine International Convention Center in Manila (18 October is reserved for an optional site visit). The APMCDRR is the main platform in Asia and the Pacific to monitor, review and enhance cooperation for the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 at the regional level.
Collaborative journey toward advancing urban resilience
The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the World Health City Forum (WHCF) are proud to announce our collaborative efforts to bolster urban resilience globally in the face of pandemics and climate change. This partnership aims to empower urban stakeholders with the knowledge and skills necessary to manage and mitigate disaster risks effectively.
